When jewelry was made with love rather than monetary value....A woman’s “memorial poesy ring” from 1592, made of gold and rock crystal. On the ring’s inner surface is inscribed, “The cruel seas, remember, took him in November.”

// 18th century poesy ring from The British Museum. Inscription reads: Many are the stars I see but in my eye no star like thee. The practice of giving gold hoop rings engraved with mottoes at betrothals or weddings was common in England from the sixteenth century onwards, and continued until the late eighteenth century. 'Posy' rings could, however, be given on many other occasions as tokens of friendship or loyalty.

Musica Raft Legend of Eldorado Offerings of Gold

The Zipa used to cover his body in gold dust and, from his raft, he offered treasures to the Guatavita goddess in the middle of the sacred lake. This old Muisca tradition became the origin of the El Dorado legend. This Balsa Muisca (Muisca raft) figure is on display in the Gold Museum, Bogotá, Colombia

The dream of El Dorado, a lost city of gold, led many a conquistador on a fruitless trek into the rainforests and mountains of South America. But it was all wishful thinking. The "golden one" was actually not a place but a person - as recent archaeological research confirms